318 



The Flora of Wiltshire. 



2. South-middle District. Potterne Wood. 



3. South-west District. " Heathy ground between Donhead St. 

 Mary and Semley," Mr. James ITussey. 



North Division. 



4. North-west District. Rudloe, in a wood near Weavern Mill 

 overhanging Box Brook, and Spye Park, but rare. 



5. North-east District. " Neighbourhood of Little Bedwyn 

 parish/'' Rev. F. H. Bucherfield. " Martinsell, Wan V Dyke, and 

 West Woods/'' Flor. Marlb. Local in Wilis. Fronds linear- 

 lanceolate, of two forms : fertile ones erect, pectinate-pinnate, with 

 distant, narrow, linear, acute pinnae : barren ones spreading , with 

 broadly- linear, blunt, approximate lobes. The barren fronds, which 

 remain throughout the winter, are always more or less spreading in 

 their habit, and generally prostrate. The fertile fronds are always 

 erect, from 1 to 2 feet in height, and distantly pinnated. 



Pteris, (Linn.) Brakes, or Bracken. 

 Linn. CI. xxiv., Ord. i. 

 Pteris, the common Greek name for fern. 



1. P. aquilina, (Linn.) Eagle Fern. When the main stalk is 

 cut across, the pith has the figure of an oak, or as some have fancied, 

 the imperial or spreading eagle, which induced Linnseus to apply to 

 it the trivial name of aquilina. Engl Bot. t. 1679. Newm. 93. 

 Fupteris, Newm. 



Locality. Woods, hedges, heaths and parks. F.Fl.July. Area, 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Abundant in all the Districts. Fronds tripartite, 

 Branches bipinnate. Pinnules linear-lanceolate, superior undivided, 

 inferior pinnatifid. The segments oblong, obtuse. Fronds 1 to 6 

 feet high, very much divided with spreading branches. This is the 

 common park fern — the favourite haunt of the deer : — 



" The wild buck bells from ferny brake." 



[Osmunda regalis, (Linn.) Flowering Fern, Engl. Bot. t. 209, 

 Newm. 331, was formerly to be found on Alderbury Common (South- 

 east District), Dr. Maton, " Botanists Guide/ 3 and still more re- 

 cently on Landlord Common — in this latter locality I fear this noble 



